KUANTAN, Nov 9 — The Pahang Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MUIP) has confirmed that the newly opened tahfiz school in Kampung Kuala Kaung, Lanchang in Temerloh has never applied for operation approval from the council despite being open since January.
MUIP deputy president Datuk Seri Wan Abdul Wahid Wan Hassan said a closure order was issued to the school today, following the death of a seven-year-old student two days ago.
He said a visit by MUIP to the school run by a married couple revealed that it has 14 other students, 10 of them commuted daily.
“We also find out that the centre does not meet the requirements and criteria required to operate a tahfiz school including in terms of security.
“In fact, if a tahfiz school wants to take in seven-year-old students, it must comply with other requirements as these children are still too young to care for themselves,” he said when contacted here today.
Wan Abdul Wahid was responding on the death of Mohammad Aimin Nurul Amin, 7, who was pronounced dead at a clinic after he was found in weak condition at the tahfiz school on Thursday.
He was found with bruises in several parts of his body. It was understood that he was sent there along with his stepbrother since mid-October.
Following the death, police have remanded three other students, all aged 13, to assist in the investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which carries a mandatory death sentence if convicted.
Apart from the school having failed to meet the requirement, Wan Abdul Wahid said the credibility and credentials of the sole teacher at the centre could also be questioned.
He said action to close any unregistered tahfiz school in Pahang would come into force next year taking into account the safety and the well-being of the students.
He also hoped that the public would not simply donate their land as waqf to any individual who wished to open a tahfiz school because this will worsen the issue of unregistered school.
“If anyone has the intention to start a tahfiz school, please inform and submit the waqf to MUIP as it will be better managed by the council,” he said. — Bernama
